On February 4, the air-conditioned Terry Center was packed with dozens of crew clubs, totaling over four hundred attendants that all aspired to S.W.E.A.T in different degrees. Though, Jesuit prepares for this – the Southwest Ergometer Amateur Tournament – every year, since it marks a new beginning, an inception: The arrival of Jesuit Crew’s 2023 Season.
Sailing to victory, the Ranger Crew established dominance in the indoor rowing showcase, with freshman Walker Bowman finishing first in 4:15.3 at the 1x junior coxswain and Sophomore Andrew Wilkes following, finishing second by two seconds. Additionally, the athletic crew squad conquered the field, as opponents trudged by after three seconds, illustrating the blazing speed of Jesuit Crew.
Yet, one win was simply not enough for the embattled team, as freshman Stacy Gonzalez secured the Rangers’ second dub of the night – beating the infamous Dallas United by 0.6 seconds in the Freshman 1x – boasting a time of 7:38. Exhibiting grit, Freshmen London Spoor and Aidan Hernandez scored top five finishes, placing third and fourth with times of 7:43 and 7:59. However, the underclassmen feats had simply ceased to end there, as Freshman Colin Salm posted a time of 7:22 in the lightweight 1x, netting the junior of a gold medallion.
Representing the class of ’24, Junior Dawson Zavala nonchalantly earned the senior of a bronze medal in the 1x junior lightweight, artistically posting a admirable time of 7:14 – certainly a sweaty performance. Following the experienced sail master was sophomore Matthew Firley, who acquired the latter of a podium finish after the stopwatch ended at 7:24.
Although the regatta fell short of a complete list of podium finishes by the Rangers, the annual S.W.E.A.T event only prepares the determined Crew team for adversity, since they are currently devoid of a head coach. Needless to say, it seems as if the squad of rowers can only improve from here – their benchmark to a flourishing season.